Junior righty Robert Woodard will start on opening day against Seton Hall Friday.

Feb. 15, 2006

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Fourth-ranked North Carolina opens the 2006 season with high hopes, as it hosts Big East Conference foe Seton Hall (1-2) for a three-game series at Boshamer Stadium beginning Friday. The Tar Heels and Pirates, who have met in each of the last 16 seasons, will play at 3 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Carolina returns three preseason All-America pitchers, a trio of Freshman All-America position players and a total of 19 letterwinners from a team that reached NCAA Regional play for a fourth consecutive season.

Series Breakdown
Game Time	 UNC Starter/SHU Starter
Fri., 3 p.m.	 Robert Woodard (0-0, 0.00)/Dan McDonald (0-1, 1.50)
Sat., 1 p.m.     Daniel Bard (0-0, 0.00)/Dan Merklinger (0-0, 6.75)
Sun., 1:30 p.m.  Luke Putkonen (0-0, 0.00)/TBA

All-Time Series Record: North Carolina leads, 42-10
Last Meeting: North Carolina swept a three-game series Feb. 18-20, 2005
Series Streak: The Tar Heels have won nine straight versus Seton Hall, sweeping series in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Fast Fact: Carolina has hosted SHU in each of the last 16 seasons dating to 1990.

CAROLINA-SETON HALL SERIES
The Tar Heels hold a 42-10 lead in the all-time series with the Pirates, which dates to 1988. Carolina has dominated SHU over the last three seasons, sweeping all three series. A year ago, the Tar Heels outscored The Hall, 27-2, over the three games. The Pirates' last win in Chapel Hill came in 2002, when they won two of three in the series.

SCOUTING THE PIRATES
Seton Hall makes its second straight trip to the Triangle for this weekend's series. The Pirates dropped two of three at Duke last weekend. Senior outfielder Brandon Cohen went 6-for-10 with three doubles and a home run last weekend to pace the SHU attack. The Pirates hit .304 as a team in the series. Seton Hall's pitching staff posted a 7.04 ERA versus Duke with reliever Chris Basso earning the Pirates' lone win. Seton Hall will start sophomore righty Dan McDonald (0-1, 1.50 ERA, 5 K) Friday, with sophomore left-hander Dan Merklinger (0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 K) set for Saturday. The Pirates have not yet named a starter for Sunday.

SEASON-OPENING SUCCESS
Under head coach Mike Fox, the Tar Heels are 7-0 on opening day with two of these wins coming over Seton Hall (2002, 2004). Carolina has won its last eight season openers, last losing on opening day in 1997 at Coastal Carolina. The Tar Heels, who traditionally opened the season on the road throughout the 1970s, `80s and `90s, last lost a season opener at home in 1970.

HEELS' HURLERS VERSUS THE HALL
Having allowed just two runs a year ago, the Tar Heels have enjoyed recent success on the mound versus the Pirates. Junior righty Daniel Bard is 2-0 over the last two seasons against SHU and has allowed just two runs on six hits over 9.1 innings, while striking out 15 batters. Junior Robert Woodard has made three career appearances (6.2 innings) versus the Pirates, and has yet to allow earned run. He picked up his only career save when he fanned the side in the ninth against Seton Hall Feb. 21, 2004. Redshirt freshman Luke Putkonen will make his first career start against the Pirates Sunday. Junior lefty Andrew Miller will start Tuesday, Feb. 21 against Coastal Carolina.

COX PUMMELS PIRATES
Junior outfielder Jay Cox has enjoyed facing Pirate pitching over the last two seasons, as he has hit safely in all four games he has played against Seton Hall. Cox is 6-for-15 (.400) with four runs scored and four RBI in the series. He hit a two-run homer in the Tar Heels' 17-0 win Feb. 18, 2005.

POWER SURGE RETURNS
In sophomores Chad Flack and Seth Williams, Carolina returns its top two power threats from a year ago. Flack set a UNC record for rookie homers with 15, while Williams finished second on the list with 13. This duo combined for nearly half of the Tar Heels' homers in 2005 (28 of 63).

WOODARD'S A WINNER
After an 8-0 season in 2005, junior righty Robert Woodard is on quite a winning streak. The Charlotte native has not dropped a decision since a May 11, 2004 start against South Carolina at Knights Castle in Ft. Mill, S.C., and he owns an 11-0 record over this stretch. Woodard brings a 16-2 collegiate record into the 2006 season, good for an .889 winning percentage, which equals Scott Bankhead's school record. He is also a perfect 9-0 at Boshamer Stadium over the last two seasons.

HEELS HOLDIN' ACES
A year ago, the Tar Heels ranked 10th nationally with a 3.17 team earned run average, the program's lowest mark since 1990. Carolina should expect similar results on the mound this season, as 10 of its 13 pitchers from a year ago are back in the fold. The returnees notched 32 of the Tar Heels' 41 victories last season and worked 444 of the staff's 557.1 innings. Included in this group of returnees are preseason All-America starters Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard, who accounted for 23 wins a year ago and 22 in 2004. Talented relievers Matt Danford and Jonathan Hovis, who combined for 53 appearances, nine wins and 14 saves a year ago, also return.

YOUNGSTERS A YEAR OLDER
A year ago, Carolina regularly started as many as four freshman in its lineup - infielders Chad Flack, Reid Fronk and Josh Horton and catcher Benji Johnson. All four started at least 22 games with Horton and Flack starting 53 and 56, respectively. Two-way player Matt Spencer also made an impact with three homers and 10 RBI in 28 games (nine starts). Heading into 2006, this group is poised to carry much of the offensive load this time around. They all gained valuable experience in various summer leagues and have impressed the coaching staff with their improvements.

NEARING A THOUSAND
Barring any weather issues, the Tar Heels will play their 1,000th game at Boshamer Stadium this season against Florida State April 2. Carolina has been played 977 games at The Bosh since 1972 and owns a 737-237-3 record. A year ago, the Tar Heels won their first 22 games at home and finished the year with a school-record 32 home victories.

IMPACT NEWCOMERS
While Carolina should not have to rely as heavily on freshmen contributions as it has in the last couple of seasons, head coach Mike Fox expects big things from his rookie class. Mike Cavasinni has nailed down the starting spot in left field and will hit at the top of the order, filling the spot vacated by Greg Mangum. Cavasinni was a standout at North Mecklenburg High School and set the North Carolina record for career stolen bases. Apex, N.C., catcher Tim Federowicz is also expected to see significant time between the plate, and classmate Garrett Gore (Wilmington, N.C.) should see plenty of action in the infield. Impact rookie arms include righty Adam Warren from New Bern, N.C., who is in the mix to start midweek games, and lefty Matt Cox, who should fill the role of a situational lefty out of the pen.

PUTKONEN AT FULL STRENGTH
Redshirt freshman right-hander Luke Putkonen is back at full strength in 2006 after sitting out last season following Tommy John surgery. The Marietta, Ga., native has impressed the coaching staff with his work last fall and preseason workouts and will make his first career start against Seton Hall Sunday.

HOVIS SET TO CLOSE
The Tar Heels' lone senior, righty Jonathan Hovis, enters the 2006 season as the squad's full-time closer for the first time in his career. The Gastonia, N.C., native has been one of the staff's most reliable relievers over the last three seasons and was 5-4 with a career-best five saves in 61 innings last season. Hovis was also fifth in the ACC a year ago with a 2.51 ERA and ranked second in the league with 9.44 strikeouts per nine innings. Hovis is one of 30 relievers up for the second annual NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, presented to the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball.

ALL-AMERICA STARTERS
All three of Carolina's projected weekend starters - Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard - have been named preseason All-America's by at least one media outlet. Miller earned first-team honors from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball and second-team accolades from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and RosenblattReport.com. Bard also a first-team selection by Baseball America and a third-team choice by Collegiate Baseball. Woodard rounds out the group with an All-America selection from RosenblattReport.com.

FEELING A DRAFT
The scouts should be out in force in Chapel Hill this season, as junior starters Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard are both projected first-round picks in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. Prior to the start of the season, Miller was named the No. 1 prospect in the junior class by Baseball America, while Bard was rated fourth in the class. Miller is also rated the No. 1 overall prospect for the 2006 draft, while Bard rates fourth on this list as well, according to Baseball America. Sophomores Josh Horton (No. 19) and Chad Flack (No. 41) were rated among the top 50 prospects in the sophomore class. The Tar Heels have had nine first-round selections, including 1985 No. 1 overall pick B.J. Surhoff. Toronto Blue Jays' shortstop Russ Adams was Carolina's last first-round pick in 2002.

BARD, MILLER ON CLEMENS LIST
For the second straight season, North Carolina pitchers Daniel Bard and Andrew Miller were selected to the 40-man preseason watch list for the Roger Clemens Award, which honors the top pitcher in college baseball. The list is comprised of all Division I pitchers who were named as pre-season All-Americans by either Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball or the National College Baseball Writers Association. Additional pitchers will be added each week when honored as National Pitchers of the Week by the NCBWA and after the NCAA releases its statistical rankings during the college baseball season. Miller was named a preseason All-America by all three organizations, while Bard was a first-team preseason honoree by Baseball America. The Roger Clemens Award was named after future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens, who began his march to stardom while leading the University of Texas to the College World Series title in 1983. The third Clemens Award will be presented to the nation's top college pitcher at the conclusion of a gala dinner in Houston in July. All Division I head baseball coaches will take part in the voting for the honor, in addition to a selected panel of national media and all past winners of the Rotary Smith Award, which was retired after the 2003 dinner by the committee that is sponsoring the Clemens Award.

CAREER STRIKEOUT WATCH
Junior lefty Andrew Miller enters 2006 with 192 career strikeouts, including 104 last season. With 97 strikeouts this season, Miller can tie Michael Hoog's school record of 289 set between 1987-90. Mike Bynum, a 1999 first-round draft choice, owns the mark for strikeouts in a three-year career with 276 from 1997-99.

TAR HEELS' TOOL BOX
Baseball America honored a trio of Tar Heels in its preview issue as having some of the "Best Tools" in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Junior left-hander Andrew Miller was rated as having the best fastball, while classmate Robert Woodard was cited as having the best control. Sophomore shortstop Josh Horton was listed as owning the league's best infield arm.

MILLER NAMED TO WALLACE WATCH
North Carolina junior left-hander Andrew Miller was named to the Wallace Watch, the preliminary list of candidates for the 2006 Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award, released Nov. 22 by the College Baseball Foundation. Miller is one of 120 candidates on the list, which will be trimmed to 12 semifinalists in late May. Three finalists will be announced following the NCAA Super Regionals and the winner will be announced after the season in Lubbock, Texas, and live on Fox Sports Net.

SIX TAR HEELS EARN PRESEASON ALL-ACC HONORS
Six different Tar Heels have earned preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors from well-respected college baseball sites SEBaseball.com and RosenblattReport.com. Starters Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller and Robert Woodard all earned All-ACC honors from SEBaseball.com, as did shortstop Josh Horton and first baseman Chad Flack. Woodard was named the league's preseason pitcher of the year. Woodard, Miller and Horton were honored by RosenblattReport.com, as was closer Jonathan Hovis. Four Tar Heels earned All-ACC honors in 2005 - Woodard, Miller, Horton and Flack.

CAROLINA A CONSENSUS TOP-EIGHT SQUAD
With a high ranking of No. 6 by Baseball America, the Tar Heels were ranked in the top eight in all four major presason polls. Carolina was rated No. 7 by both Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Tar Heels No. 6 rating by Baseball America was its highest by the magazine since the B.J. Surhoff and Scott Bankhead led team of 1984 was rated fourth to open the season.

HEELS PICKED THIRD IN ACC
With 19 returning letterwinners, including three preseason All-America pitchers, the University of North Carolina was predicted to finish third in the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference baseball standings, the league office announced Jan. 19. The ACC's preseason poll was determined by a vote of the league's 12 head coaches. The Tar Heels, who where 41-19-1 a year ago, received two first-place votes and 126 total points, just two less that second-place finisher Georgia Tech, which also took two first-place votes. Clemson was picked as the league favorite with eight first-place votes and 139 points. Rounding out the ACC coaches preseason poll in predicted order of finish are Florida State (107 points), Miami (95), NC State (86), Virginia (72), Wake Forest (59), Boston College (41), Maryland (38), Virginia Tech (30) and Duke (15).

NEW FACES ON FOX'S STAFF
The Tar Heels will feature a pair of new but familiar faces on the coaching staff in 2006 with pitching coach Scott Forbes and assistant Jason Howell returning to Chapel Hill. Forbes, who was an assistant at Carolina from 1999-2002, rejoins Fox's staff after three years at Winthrop where he assistant head coach last season and helped guide the Eagles to the Big South title and an appearance in the NCAA Knoxville Regional. He played for Fox at North Carolina Wesleyan. Howell is in his first year in coaching after four seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization. He earned All-ACC honors as a two-way standout at Carolina in 2001 after transferring from Appalachian State. Howell 28-14 with 23 saves and a 3.86 earned runs average in his four seasons in the minors.